French Soccer Commercial Exposes Gender Bias in the Sport
A powerful French soccer advertisement has gone viral ahead of the 2023 Women’s World Cup for its impactful message about gender biases in the sport. The ad, which has garnered over 4 million views on YouTube and gained traction on social media, highlights the discrepancies between men’s and women’s soccer.
The commercial begins with captivating highlights from what initially appears to be the celebrated men’s team. Excited commentators enthusiastically call the game as the men score goals, and snippets of cheering fans add to the atmosphere. The voiceover exclaims in French, Fantastic, what a beautiful team! This is the football we love!
Then, the video abruptly fades to black, and the words Only Les Bleus can give us these emotions. But that’s not them you’ve just seen appear on the screen. (Les Bleus is the name of France’s men’s soccer team.) The ad rewinds the highlight reel and reveals that the goals were actually scored by the women’s team, not the men. The commercial showcases elaborate deep fake clips, side by side with the original footage, to emphasize the gender bias.
The video proceeds to show the same highlight reel, but this time with the women soccer players scoring the goals. The final message of the ad reads, At Orange, when we support Les Bleus, we support Les Bleues. Orange, a popular telecommunications company in France, aims to promote support for the women’s national soccer team, known as Les Bleues.
The inspiration behind the commercial’s powerful message was explained by a spokesperson for Orange. They highlighted that the general consensus among soccer fans is that men’s soccer is better, faster, and more interesting than women’s. The commercial sought to challenge this perception by reshaping women into men through clever editing, demonstrating that women’s soccer can evoke the same emotions and excitement.
This advertisement comes at a crucial time when the U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team has been tirelessly fighting for equal pay since 2016. Despite their superior performance in tournaments, the team revealed they received only 40 percent of their male counterparts’ earnings at the time. They filed a complaint and sued the U.S. Soccer Federation for gender discrimination. The lawsuit was settled in February 2022, with each player earning a total of $24 million. In September of the same year, both the U.S. men’s and women’s national teams signed an equal pay agreement, ensuring identical pay for games, tournaments, and World Cup prize money.
The French soccer commercial’s viral success serves as a catalyst for discussions surrounding gender bias in sports. It sheds light on the need for equal recognition and support for women’s soccer, aiming to challenge preconceived notions and promote inclusivity. As the 2023 Women’s World Cup approaches, the ad serves as a reminder that women athletes are just as skilled and deserving of attention and support as their male counterparts.
